Abstract
One modern imaging technique used in the diagnosis of Crohn’s disease (CD) is sonoelastrography of the intestine. Guidelines regarding the use of bowel sonoelastography in CD have still not been specified. The aim of our research was to conduct a systematic review of the use of sonoelastography in the diagnosis, assessment, and monitoring of strictures in the course of CD. A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines statement. The following databases were searched in January 2021: MEDINE via PubMed, Embase and Scopus. The search utilised the following MeSH tags: ‘Ultrasound Shear Wave’, ‘Elastography’, ‘elastogram’, ‘elastographies’ AND ‘Crohn disease’. The inclusion criteria were as follows: from 2010 or later, articles with abstracts, articles in English, human-based studies and original articles. Articles were assessed independently by two reviewers. Out of 181 articles, only 15 met the criteria and were included in the review. Due to a small number of studies and significant methodological differences, the feasibility of using sonoelastography for Crohn’s disease must be proven through further research and analysis. In the future, standardised assessment criteria and cut-off points should be established for both strain elastography (SE) and shear wave elastography (SWE).
Highlights
Accepted: 1 September 2021Crohn’s disease (CD) is a form of transmural granulomatous inflammation that can occur in any portion of the digestive tract
The age of patients suffering from CD varied between 6 years [36] and 90 years [34]
The lowest Kappa value in the sample was reported by Havre et al (0.38 for strain ratio (SR) elastography) [42]
Summary
Crohn’s disease (CD) is a form of transmural granulomatous inflammation that can occur in any portion of the digestive tract. The most frequently observed location of Crohn’s disease is in the intestines. Lesions develop in an intermittent pattern of affected and unaffected segments, resulting in fibrosis, destruction of the bowel wall, strictures, obstructions, abscesses and fistulas. Inflammation spreads centrifugally, starting in the mucosa and gradually spreading toward external layers, eventually affecting the entire bowel wall [1,2,3]. Despite state-of-the-art modern pharmacotherapy involving biological drugs, complications from CD still may necessitate extensive surgical treatment [4,5,6]. Endoscopy is the well-established diagnostic standard for inflammatory bowel diseases
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